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Pill set to join Korean team after Giants sell rights

Deal won't be official until first baseman passes physical following Christmas

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Pill's go-ahead homer 0:40

9/15/13: Brett Pill powers a solo home run to deep left field, giving the Giants a late lead in the top of the eighth inning

By Adam Berry
/
MLB.com |

The Giants never really found an ideal spot for Brett Pill, but he'll finally get an opportunity to play every day next year in Korea.

San Francisco has sold Pill's rights to the KIA Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization, and Pill has agreed to a one-year contract with the club, pending a physical. The deal won't be official until Pill passes his physical, which will take place after Christmas, so the 29-year-old first baseman will remain on the Giants' 40-man roster for the time being.

Pill posted the following on Twitter on Saturday night: "Thank you @sfgiants fans for all the love and support. You truly are inspired fans that always made me feel like family. ... I am grateful for every single day I got to put on that Giants uniform and will always cherish those amazing memories."

Thank you @sfgiants fans for all the love and support. You truly are inspired fans that always made me feel like family.

Pill made 259 plate appearances in 111 games for San Francisco over the past three years, compiling a .233/.279/.404 batting line with nine homers and 32 RBIs as he bounced back and forth between the Majors and Triple-A Fresno.

The right-handed slugger did more than enough to prove himself at the Triple-A level, posting a .301/.340/.511 batting line with 70 homers and 315 RBIs in 1,709 plate appearances over the past four years for Fresno.

But Pill couldn't carry those impressive numbers into the Majors as he dropped down the first-base depth chart behind not only Brandon Belt, but also catcher Buster Posey and recently signed left fielder Michael Morse. The Giants could have used him as a right-handed reserve, but he's hit just .140 with two homers in 50 career at-bats off the bench.

Adam Berry is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter at @adamdberry. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.